Unlock Democracy: Gordon Brown's proposed electoral system could have cost Labour all their MEPs last Thursday

Wednesday, 10 June 2009 12:00 AM

Commenting on rumours that Gordon Brown intends to announce plans to reform the electoral system tomorrow, Deputy Director of Unlock Democracy Alexandra Runswick said:

"If the rumours are true, Gordon Brown has clearly learned nothing from the last few weeks. This is a textbook example of how not to do electoral reform.

"The Alternative Vote system certainly has some superficial advantages over first-past-the-post and would ensure that no MP was elected with less than 50% of the vote. But it is not a proportional system and in certain circumstances can be less proportional than first past the post. Where there is a major swing against a political party, AV can actually exaggerate that swing. Under AV for example, Labour would probably have no MEPs at all after last Thursday's election.

"Unlock Democracy believes the UK should adopt a proportional electoral system that gives voters a choice of both parties and individual candidates. But fundamentally, we believe the people - not politicians - should be leading this process. For this reason we are calling for a Citizens' Convention to decide how to make Parliament and government more accountable and ethical.

"The Citizens' Convention (Accountability and Ethics) Bill has been tabled in the House of Commons. If he is truly serious about reform, we call on Gordon Brown to announce tomorrow that he will allow time for the Bill to be debated."

The Citizens' Convention Bill received its first reading in the House of Commons on Monday (8 June). Supported by a cross party group of MPs (Martin Caton, David Drew, Jim Dowd, Norman Lamb, Julia Goldsworthy, Norman Baker, Douglas Carswell), the bill would establish a citizens' convention of randomly chosen members of the public to look at ways to make the UK political system more accountable. Among other things, it will bring forward proposals to:

• Bring elected representatives to book when they step out of line;
  
• Change the way in which Parliament is run to ensure that the government is properly held to account;
  
• Decide on our electoral system.

To stand a chance of becoming law, the government will have to allow it time in Parliament to be properly debated and scrutinised.

ENDS

Notes

(1) Unlock Democracy is the UK's leading campaign for democracy, rights and freedoms. It was formed in 2007 and is the successor organisation to Charter 88 and the New Politics Network.

(2) For more information, contact James Graham on 020 7278 4443 / 07966 237550.

Tags: